This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are used as fuel to power vehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity, in addition to a myriad of other uses. Once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components and/or conduits, such as casings, trees, manifolds, and the like, that facilitate drilling and/or extraction operations.
A long pipe, such as a casing, may be lowered into the earth to enable access to the natural resource. Additional pipes and/or tubes may then be run through the casing to facilitate extraction of the resource. In some instances, it may be desirable to cement a wellhead component in place within another component to disable movement of the components under very high pressures. As cement is pumped into the wellhead, it may be heated up by the high temperatures found underground. The increased temperatures may cause the cement to expand within the wellhead, which may result in movement of wellhead components. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a locking mechanism by which one wellhead component (e.g., a hanger) may be held in place within another component (e.g., a casing) during the cementing process.